Cowboys star earns downgrade after Ponga shot in Vegas

North Queensland winger Braidon Burns has been cleared to play in round two despite a brutal high shot on Newcastle captain Kalyn Ponga.

Burns was sin binned late in the game at Allegiant Stadium after he rushed out of the defensive line to put a shot on the superstar fullback.

His shoulder connected with Ponga's head, flooring the Knights No.1 and resulting in referee Ashley Klein giving Burns his marching orders.

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The NRL's match review committee hit Burns with a grade two careless high tackle, which would have resulted in a two-game ban with an early guilty plea.

However, the Cowboys opted to seek a downgrade at the NRL judiciary and were successful, freeing Burns to play. He will instead pay an $1800 fine.

Stemming from the Vegas season openers, Newcastle veteran Tyson Frizell escaped with a fine for his cannonball tackle on Thomas Mikaele, while Dragons livewire Christian Tuipulotu was also been fined for a shoulder charge in the second game.

The late sin bin proved costly for the Cowboys in a 28-18 loss under the bright lights.

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Cowboys coach Todd Payten later complained about the fact Burns was binned while Frizell was allowed to remain on the field.

"I can't disagree with the result," he said of the sin bin.

"I'm really disappointed with how the Tom Mikaele incident was handled, considering Kalyn gets up and plays on but Tom is out for the next six weeks.

"I'd just like some consistency, but we'll see what happens."

The new-look Knights were dealt a blow in the first half when Fletcher Sharpe went off with a knee injury and the scores locked at 12-12 at the break.

Bradman Best and Dom Young scored back-to-back tries early in the second half to give the Knights the ascendancy, before Murray Taulagi kept it alive in the 51st minute.

Earlier in the match, Scott Drinkwater left the field for a brief period with a rib cartilage issue but was cleared to return after receiving pain relief in the sheds.